Education

Arts organizations including the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, Bay Street Theater, and the Parrish Art Museum have modified their educational programs for families and children to offer them digitally and free of charge. 

The Sag Harbor School District on Wednesday announced "more than one member of our school community" has been diagnosed with COVID-19, making it the second local school to confirm at least one case.

School districts and day care centers here are answering the governor’s call to help parents and caregivers who are first responders, health care workers, and other essential employees during the COVID-19 response.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo this week ordered schools statewide to close through March 31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some districts here had already announced plans to close for two weeks. Many administrators believe the closure will be extended.

Eleanor Tritt, the interim superintendent of the Sag Harbor School District, resigned Wednesday from her post.

With the schools closed, many parents have begun navigating the world of homeschooling for the first time, and school districts have begun serving meals to students who take part in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. 

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on Sunday afternoon announced in a local emergency order that schools across the county will close for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo waived a key public education mandate on Friday afternoon, saying during a press conference that districts could choose to close if they wished and they would not be penalized for holding fewer than 180 school days.

When asked about their favorite books last week, the members of the fall and winter Leadership Council at John M. Marshall Elementary School all raised their hands simultaneously and began naming title after title in rapid succession.

A revived focus on career and technical education, new ways to demonstrate mastery of the skills that come with it, news literacy, and financial competence emerged as ideas for possible updates to high school graduation requirements last week during a public forum convened to examine just that.     

Ruby Yassen has been named the valedictorian of Pierson High School’s class of 2020, and Chase Allardice its salutatorian.     

School budget season is in full swing on the South Fork, where school officials have been busy debating construction projects, textbook purchases, employee raises, and new programs to include — or cuts to make — in next year’s new spending plans.